F1 fever is in the air, and the Apple Original Films, Warner Bros’ theatrical release is coming in higher with a $57M opening weekend. Warners reported a 3-day estimate of $55.6M yesterday. As we previously told you, this is the second highest opening for Brad Pitt after 2013’s World War Z at $66.4M. For Joseph Kosinski, it’s his second biggest opening after Top Gun: Maverick ($126.7M) as a director.
Among the top five movies yesterday, F1 had the best hold with -17% between its Saturday and Sunday (a total day of $14.5M) while other titles registered -20% declines or steeper.
F1 producer Jerry Bruckheimer spoke with Deadline again in the wake of F1‘s success and gave an update on how his weekend went.
“I went to the Chinese Theatre and Universal Citywalk and the audience was having a blast,” said the producer who notched his 28th ‘A’-range CinemaScore (meaning A+, A or A-) this weekend with F1. “Audiences are riveted, you don’t see a head move.”
Similar to how Bruckheimer gave life to an embattled cinema sub-genre like Pirates movies with his Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, he has once again revived another genre many thought risky on the big screen, the racing car movie. The producer waves off that credit.
“Joseph Kosinski came up with a great story, and Brad Pitt really helped. Lewis Hamilton got us through. I’m here and certainly along for the ride, but you gotta give credit to the creative guys, just the amount of effort Brad and Damson Idris went to learn how to drive these cars. They model the car seats to their bodies. We had to start them in a road car, since these automobiles are dangerous. It was a real long four-month process.”
F1 was shot at ten Formula One races around the world and the Daytona 500. The pic faced two strikes and was four days into shooting before they had to shut down completely. During the strike, a second unit shot the races.
Why not another NASCAR movie? Did it have to do with the fact that a Formula One movie could make better bank at the overseas box office given the popularity of the sport?
“We don’t think about that. It’s all about the characters and great stories,” said Bruckheimer.
And that, for the producer is the difference in making a niche sports movie accessible to all.
“It’s a four-quadrant movie whether you like racing or not. There’s high scores among women as well. Everyone wants a second chance. When you see the world we live in, which is a mess, here’s a movie where you lose yourself for two hours. It’s an emotional journey for the audience, it’s fun and romantic.”
Meanwhile, a Day of Thunder reboot and Top Gun 3 are still in development under the watch of Bruckheimer.
While the demos for F1 were 62% guys, 38% women; 53% under 35, and 47% over 35; the industry’s expectation given the outstanding straight A CinemaScores is that a Top Gun: Maverick demo effect happens, meaning F1 gets younger and more female in a long leg summer play. Even though the movie will cede its PLFs to Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth this coming weekend over Independence Day, the Joseph Kosinski directed, Brad Pitt starring movie will hold on to its Imax auditoriums for another week. Let’s see where Monday and Tuesday comes in but at the low-end, a -50% 3-day ($28.5M) is sound for F1‘s second lap. Know that Top Gun: Maverick held in its second frame at -29%. “This will have long legs just like other Bruckheimer movies,” says one insider close to F1.
While Warner Bros and Apple had a blitzkrieg of marketing from global stops to tech products, let’s not forget the exhibitors who put forth their best clever. Read, Midwest chain B&B ran go-karts around their lobbies to promote F1:
On the indie circuit front, The Lindsay Theater outside of Pittsburgh celebrated the opening day of F1: The Movie by partnering with Pittsburgh Cars ‘N’ Coffee to bring an exclusive vintage car display to Sewickley. Anyone walking through the Green Street Parking Lot—located directly beside The Lindsay—on Friday, June 27 got to marvel at and take photos with a variety of exotic cars including an Ariel Atom, Ferrari 458 Italia, McLaren 750S Spider, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera and more vintage vehicles.
Universal’s Jurassic World Rebirth happens Wednesday sans Tuesday night previews in what is expected to be a $120M-$130M five-day opening at 4,300 theaters. The notion is that F1 can totally keep a great speed up, even if pre-historic beats are stepping on the track.
